7 Sci-Fi Inspired Medical Devices7 Sci-Fi Inspired Medical Devices

April 9, 2015

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7 Sci-Fi Inspired Medical Devices

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The DEKA ArmNicknamed “Luke” after Star Wars' Luke Skywalker, the DEKA neuro-controlled arm won FDA approval last year. The arm works by translating electrical signals from electromyogram (EMG) electrodes, enabling users to perform complex actions.In case you haven't seen The Empire Strikes Back in a while, Luke Skywalker was outfitted with a similar arm (shown in the inset) after Darth Vader cut his natural arm off.Read more about the Luke arm.Find out about the next technology...

7 Sci-Fi Inspired Medical Devices

Updated April 9, 2015

Oscar Wilde once opined that, "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life." It was doubtful that he had science fiction in mind when he wrote that in 1889, but there are now countless examples of technologies that have been described in science fiction novels and films that now exist: Tablet computers, virtual reality, satellites, rockets, submarines, and mobile phones are all technologies first described in science fiction before they became a reality.

Here are seven medical technologies inspired by science fiction.

Brian Buntz is the editor-in-chief of MPMN and Qmed. Follow him on Twitter at @brian_buntz.Chris Newmarker is senior editor of MPMN and Qmed. Follow him on Twitter at @newmarker

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Image modified from art by James Vaughan. Used under the Creative Commons License.

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